NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a 48-hour waiting period for abortions in Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Attorney General's office.
Back in October, a federal judge ruled the waiting period unconstitutional. The state appealed the decision and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the state’s motion for a stay pending appeal.
“We are pleased that the full Sixth Circuit has recognized that Tennessee’s law, requiring a 48-hour waiting period for abortions, is likely constitutional and can be enforced while the appeal proceeds,” said General Herbert H. Slatery III in a press release. “The Supreme Court has recognized the authority of State governments to provide women considering abortion the opportunity to receive important information before a life-changing decision is made. Tennesseans, through their elected representatives, voted for this law and this Office will defend it.”
The ruling allows state law to be enforced while the case continues on appeal. The law requires women to receive counseling then wait two days until they can have an abortion.
